Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2002

By Staff
Who can you trust?
To the editor:
In the case of massive fraud, such as Enron, Whitewater, the savings and loan scandals, etc., three separate and distinct sets of watchdogs sit sniffing at the business world:
(1) One must ask: "What is a Certified Public Accountant certified to do?" He acts as watchdog to certify that a company's books accurately portray its financial condition. Ostensibly, our governments "certify" the truthfulness of CPA's. Can we trust the "certifiers of truth"?
(2) One must ask, "Why did Enron not pay any taxes for several years?" Surely, there must be a detectable bad odor when billions of dollars is not subject to being taxed. You can bet on one thing: that same watchdog will put the small taxpayer under the jail if he doesn't pay all his nickels and dimes.
(3) And, one must ask: "Massive insider trading took place at Enron. What function does the Securities and Exchange Commission serve if it is not to detect and prevent massive insider stock trades?"
Again, the watchdogs slept through the entire episode. The common thread between the above three agencies is that the government policemen that supposedly oversees the integrity of the watchdog agencies lay sleeping in the shade of political expediency.
If we can't trust the companies, and we can't trust the watchdog agencies, and we can't trust the government that oversees the watchdog agencies, then what recourse does the investor have? The current price of Enron stock tells the entire story.
Ultimately, the "fix" lies within the power of the politician, for it is he who passes the laws and makes the rules that govern us all, especially the conduct of business. What they haven't fixed is the politician who can't smell anything but roses. Bad money. Good money. It all smells the same to him.
Ron Merchant
Jackson
via e-mail
A little pride, please
To the editor:
As you drive through the county you see them, one here, two there or maybe a cluster of three of four. You know eyesores, yards littered with old appliances, old furniture, rusted out cars, stacks of tires and six years of everyday household trash thrown onto the lawn.
These eyesores (forever present in the Causeyville Aycock area) don't only present a disgusting appearance, but a serious health problem for both residents and the community. They breed rats, snakes, mange-eaten strays, mosquitoes and numerous unseen diseases. Maybe the county health department should look into this.
Why not take trash to the local county Dumpster? There's probably one within two miles. You pay for it in taxes whether you use it or not. And all those old cars and appliances, turn them into the scrap yard. They're worth money.
Have a little pride and self-respect for yourself, your neighbors, your community and let's not forget the local children.
Tim Nunley
Meridian